Virginia man found guilty of weapons and explosives charges following arrest on Capitol Hill

Washington, D.C. – A 38-year-old Virginia man, Michael Stephen Gorbey, was found guilty on Friday by a Superior Court jury of multiple weapons charges, including possession of explosives and the attempted manufacture or possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today.

The jury found Gorbey guilty of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a convicted Felon; two counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon; Possession of an Unregistered Firearm; eight counts of Possession of Unregistered Ammunition; Possessing, Transporting, or Transferring Explosives; and Attempted Manufacture or Possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction. This case marks the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged a person with attempting to manufacture or possess a weapon of mass destruction based upon the local District of Columbia statute that was passed in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Sentencing is currently set for July 25, 2008, before the Honorable Gregory Jackson, who presided over the trial. At sentencing, the defendant faces over 70 years of incarceration.